Pragyan Ojha, with his second successive five-wicket haul, hastened West Indies’ capitulation on Saturday to help India register an innings and 126-run win and gift Sachin Tendulkar a 2-0 series brownwash as a farewell gift. The left-arm spinner registered figures of 5 for 40 in the first innings and 5 for 49 in the second innings to register his maiden 10 wicket-haul in a match.
Ojha, who was named Man of the Match for his stellar show, fittingly dedicated his award to Tendulkar, who was playing his 200th and final Test. “I will remember this all my life and this is for Sachin paaji,” Ojha said in a glittering presentation ceremony at the Wankhede. (Also read: Sachin walks off with tears in eyes)
Ojha bowled with great guile and used the bowling crease well to fox the technically inept West Indian batsmen. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly had praised Ojha after his five-wicket haul in the first innings on Day One of the Wankhede Test on Thursday. (Sachin thanks pitch that made him)
“Ojha will be a very good bowler on good surfaces overseas as well because he gets that angle into the batsman and turns it away from there. Ojha is also a very good Day 1 bowler in a Test match as he is tight in his line and length and does not allow batsman to get away,” observed Ganguly. (Related: Sachin to get Bharat Ratna)
The Orissa-born player received good support from the other end with R Ashwin picking up 7 wickets in the game, including becoming the fastest Indian to reach 100 Test wickets. The 27-year-old has had a lot of success in India as he became the ninth bowler to take 100 wickets on home soil.
Ojha, who has also played many games for the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, says the pitch at the venue is one of his favourite tracks to bowl on. “This is one of the favourite wickets for me. It has some turn and bounce and I enjoy bowling out here. That is something I always do here,” he said.